I was recently asked about freedom or liberty. The question being: Should we seek liberty or should we seek absolute freedom? I initially chose freedom, with greater reflection I have chosen liberty. The reasons for this in a few. First though let us discuss the differences.

Definitions by online Oxford dictionary.

Freedom
Syllabification: free·dom
Pronunciation: /ˈfrēdəm /
NOUN

1 The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint:

we do have some freedom of choice
he talks of revoking some of the freedoms

1 The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behavior, or political views:
compulsory retirement would interfere with individual liberty

Rest of definitions below at end of post:

The argument that was presented to me was that the term liberty was a term that was created by the monarchs, oligarchs and other elites of society in order to subjugate the people under a false freedom. You see, freedom assumes absolute freedom from any form of control, while liberty assumes as great a freedom as possible as a member of society for the benefits of that society. We as individuals are all free men and women. We as sovereign beings are inherently free from birth. Historically though, we as individuals have always persisted within a group of others. From the family unit to organized religion and government. These associations have had positives and negatives. Government itself has been the greatest killer throughout history. Organized religion as well. In fact most if not all major organizations have paved a destructive path.

There will always be wolves amongst society. There will always be sheep. The character of society is determined through the strength of the sheepdogs. Those individuals that choose selfless service for the betterment of all. Society is currently laid bare in terms of sheepdogs.

Now, those that choose freedom over liberty must by necessity choose absolute freedom over liberty. Therefore, those that choose freedom over liberty are choosing anarchy. I am not an anarchist and I, like many before, am interested in the benefits of limited government over the benefits of absolute freedom.

The truth is, absolute freedom limits productivity and freedom. The founders understood this concept. Our current society believes in a left-right paradigm. The truth is that the paradigm is a tyranny-anarchy paradigm. The founders chose people’s law through a constitutional republic. This choice allowed the people to have the greatest control over their government, while ensuring the greatest liberties for themselves. The introduction of the US Constitution clearly states the six intended purposes of the US governmental system.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

These purposes began with the people. These purposes are clear and concise. The constitution then goes on to dictate elaborate safeguards from conspiratorial elements of the government. The founders understood that the people were the defenders of their rights. The constitution being a guide to assist the people in the maintenance of their liberties. Many of these safeguards have since been eroded through the amendment process.

The benefits of the constitution far outweigh the benefits of absolute freedom. Absolute freedom, while initially quite desirable, is far more dangerous than one might suspect. Absolute freedom forces the people to either act individually in self defense at all times, therefore decreasing the productivity of that individual, or to form bonds with other people in order to assist in the protection of oneself, giving up the absolute freedom that was initially sought. Therefore absolute freedom decreases productivity through greater demands on time (search for water, food, shelter, protection from enemies due to decreased societal benefits) or actively pressures one to give up some freedom for liberty.

Many today decry the American system of government. We live in a time of apathy and ignorance. We live in a time where the elites of our system have systematically eliminated and sidestepped the safeguards of the US Constitution. The naysayers of the constitution and the founding principles use this as fodder to attack the constitution. The truth is that regular manipulation of the constitution as well as decreased understanding and political involvement is what has led the American people to our current predicament.

A constitutional republic protects the sheep from the wolves.

The path to liberty is clear and available. The path has been written. The path has been followed with great success. America was an extremely productive nation with great freedoms for some time. The people have allowed our current situation, and without action, the people will become slaves.

Stand for the US Constitution and join the Liberty Blitz on Oct. 20th. Lets educate Americans on their rights and true system of government.

#findlibertyfindamerica

Read “The Making of America” by W. Cleon Skousen for more information.

Freedom:

Rest of definition

1.1 Absence of subjection to foreign domination or despotic government:
he was a champion of Irish freedom

1.2 The state of not being imprisoned or enslaved:
the shark thrashed its way to freedom

1.3 The state of being physically unrestricted and able to move easily:
the shorts have a side split for freedom of movement

1.4 (freedom from) The state of not being subject to or affected by (a particular undesirable thing):
government policies to achieve freedom from want

1.5 The power of self-determination attributed to the will; the quality of being independent of fate or necessity.

1.6 Unrestricted use of something:
the dog is happy having the freedom of the house when we are out

1.7 ARCHAIC Familiarity or openness in speech or behavior.

Origin

Old English frēodōm (see free, -dom).

Liberty:

Rest of definition

1.1 (usually liberties) An instance of this; a right or privilege, especially a statutory one:
the Bill of Rights was intended to secure basic civil liberties

1.2 The state of not being imprisoned or enslaved:
people who have lost property or liberty without due process

1.3 (Liberty) The personification of liberty as a female figure.

2 The power or scope to act as one pleases:
individuals should enjoy the liberty to pursue their own interests and preferences

2.1 Philosophy A person’s freedom from control by fate or necessity.

2.2 INFORMAL A presumptuous remark or action:
how did he know what she was thinking?—it was a liberty!

2.3 Nautical Shore leave granted to a sailor.

Origin

late Middle English: from Old French liberte, from Latin libertas, from liber ‘free’.

2 responses to “On Freedom or Liberty”

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